Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-08-30
A DANGEROUS RIDE.
Thrilling War Scenes and Horrible Sights
In Zuluiand.

Thrilling War Scenes and Horrible Sights
In zuluiand.
zone of the most horrible sights l
have seen was the field of the disaster
of IsaLdlwana in Zululand,' said War
Correspondent Archibald Forbes the
o,her day to reporter ut was four
months after the disaster. The thou
sand dead bodies had been lying
bleaching in the hot sun unburied at
the time. The Zulu vultures had not
touched them. Their bodies had with
cred away to skeletons incased in
skins that had become like leather.
One could trace how they had fallen.
and occasionally rallied in groups to
make desperate stand against their
enemies. The corn which had fallen
out of the wagon had sprung up
among the dead. / have seen battle
fields after the fight strewn with
the dead and dying, heard
the shrieks and groans of tho
wounded, but that sight was nothing
like the horrible field of Isandlwana.
Later on 1 saw the dead body of the
young Prince Imperial. lie was a lad
of great brightness. and on the voyage
out he expressed anxiety about receiv-
ing a wound from an asscgai. He lay
on the field quite naked, covered with
wounds Round his neck was thin
gold chain and locket attached, in
which was picture of his mother. We
took this Off and sent it to the Empress,
and then carried him carefully, from
the field. 1t was curious and cast n
gloom over me that l should see this
young Prince receive, as his father
called it, his baptism of fire at Spicher-
en-, and then, a few years later. see
him corpse on q foreign field. From
there VIC proceeded on to Ulundi with
Sir Redvers Butler and Lord
William Beresford. While cantering
on, suddenly an army of Zulus rose up
in front of us. General Butler immedi-
ately ordered the men back. Two men
were shot, one dead and one wounded.
Lord Beresford, looking back, saw tho
wounded man and determined TO save
him, There was just chance. and he
galloped to the fallen man. Dismount-
ing, he proceeded to assist him his own
horse, but the soldier said Beresford
was to save his own life and not risk
two where one was necessary. Beres-
ford, using some rough language, said
he would punch the soldiers head if no
did not do as he was told. The two
got safely on the horse and escaped
Just as the Zulus came up. Beres-
ford is an Irishman and gained the
Victoria cross for his daring. At
the taking of Ulundi, at the close of the
campaign, Lord Chelmsford, for some
reason or other, decided not to send an
official dispatch of the result until tho
next morning. then decided to set
out alone with the news. The ride
was one hundred and twenty miles,
and laid through country in which l
knew there would be number OF
Struggling Zulus. The night was pitch
dark, and the only way had of find
ing the way was by following the cart
tracks. For hours l rode on in tho
the dark, passing deserted kraals and
often seeing Zulus in the distance, who
would shout at me as passed. AT
last ! lost my way. and had
to wait until the moon rose tn
fluid it again. 1t was twenty
minutes before that took place, and
l sat on my trembling horse with re-
volvers in hand, waiting for tho light.
1t was the longest twenty minutes lever
spent, but found the road and rode
on to Lord Wolseley's camp with tho
news of the fate of Ulundi. The Cen
eral congratulated me on having
brought the first news, which was
telegraphed on to the Governor. Sir
Bartle Frere, and to the home govern
ment. The ride took fifteen hours,
and was full of dangers, but l was
amply repaid by having my dispatches
read in the House of Lords and Com
mons as the only information that had
been received. brooklyn Citizen